New Delhi: A 35-foot statue of Chhattrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rajkot Fort in Malvan in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district on December 4 last year, came crashing down on Monday. It collapsed around 1 pm on August 26, officials said.
The opposition parties hit out at the state government after the collapse of the statue. They accused the government of paying little heed to the quality of work. It is yet to be ascertained why exactly the statue came down. However, initial report indicate the collapse happened due to torrential rains and massive winds that have been buffeting the city for the past couple of days.
Police and district administration officials assessed the situation, and are examining the damage to the statue.
NCP (SP) state president and former minister Jayant Patil blamed the state government for the collapse. “The government paid little attention to the quality of work. It only focused on conducting an event where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited to unveil the statue. This Maharashtra government only issues new tenders, accepts commissions and gives contracts accordingly,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.
Slamming the government, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vaibhav Naik said, “The state government may try to evade responsibility. People responsible for the construction and erection of the statue must be probed thoroughly.”
Commenting on the statue’s collapse, Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar reportedly told the news agency, “PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan, also the guardian minister of Sindhudurg district, has said a thorough investigation will be carried out in the matter.”
“We are committed to erecting a new statue at the same location. This statue, unveiled by PM Modi, pays tribute to Shivaji Maharaj’s visionary efforts in building a sea fort. We will take all necessary steps to address this matter promptly and effectively,” he added.
With the crashing down of the statue, the political pressure on the Shinde government will continue to mount.
